📢 UIDAI Takes Major Step: 2.5 Crore Aadhaar Numbers Deactivated

Balasahana Suresh
The Unique Identification Authority of india (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 2.5 crore (25 million+) Aadhaar numbers that belonged to deceased individuals as part of a nationwide database cleanup and security effort. This action was confirmed in parliament by the Union minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada.

🧾 Why Were These Aadhaar Numbers Deactivated?

🔒 1. Prevent Identity Fraud

One of the main reasons for this move is to stop identity theft and fraudulent use of Aadhaar numbers after a person has passed away. If an Aadhaar number of a deceased person remains active, it could potentially be misused — for example, to open bank accounts, apply for loans, or wrongfully claim government welfare benefits. Deactivation closes this loophole.

🎯 2. Protect Welfare Benefits

Aadhaar is widely used to deliver government subsidies and social benefits (like pensions, food rations, etc.). By ensuring only living, eligible individuals remain in the database, the scheme helps prevent misuse of public resources intended for rightful beneficiaries.

📊 3. Improve Database Accuracy

With around 134 crore active Aadhaar holders, maintaining accurate and up‑to‑date records is critical. Removing Aadhaar numbers of deceased persons helps keep the database trustworthy and manageable.

🛠️ How Deactivation Works

UIDAI doesn’t simply delete numbers at random. The process involves:

  • Collection of death records from sources like the Civil Registration System, state governments, and registrars of births and deaths.
  • Verification and cross‑checking of Aadhaar details with official death records to confirm the person has indeed died.
  • Deactivation of the Aadhaar number, meaning it can no longer be used for authentication or benefits.
  • Aadhaar numbers are never reassigned to anyone else.
This is part of an ongoing “database sanitisation” that also includes regular de‑duplication and updates to demographic data.

🛡️ Additional Security Enhancements

Alongside deactivating Aadhaar numbers of deceased persons, uidai has introduced several features to further protect identities:

🔐 Biometric Lock/Unlock

  • Aadhaar holders can lock their biometric data (fingerprints/iris), preventing unauthorized authentication unless they explicitly unlock it.
👤 Face Authentication with Liveness Detection

  • A technology that ensures a real person is present during authentication, helping prevent spoofing with photos or videos.
📱 New Aadhaar App & Secure Features

  • A new mobile app allows users to manage updates, share verified credentials securely, and perform e‑KYC with paperless offline options and secure QR codes.
🔐 Encrypted Storage

  • Aadhaar data is stored in Aadhaar Data Vaults in encrypted format to protect against unauthorized access.
📌 What This Means for You

✔ If your Aadhaar is active and you’re alive, nothing changes — it remains valid for identity verification, bank accounts, mobile SIM KYC, welfare benefits, and other services.

✔ If you have lost a family member’s Aadhaar, families are encouraged to report the death using UIDAI’s online services (such as the myAadhaar portal) to ensure timely deactivation and prevent misuse.

✔ Aadhaar will not be reused or re‑issued to others, even after deactivation.

🔎 Bottom Line

The deactivation of over 2.5 crore Aadhaar numbers is part of a larger government effort to strengthen India’s Aadhaar system by reducing fraud, protecting citizens’ identities, ensuring that only legitimate users benefit from services, and keeping the database clean and accurate.

 

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, organization, employer, or company. All information provided is for general informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, reliability, or suitability of the information contained herein. Readers are advised to verify facts and seek professional advice where necessary. Any reliance placed on such information is strictly at the reader’s own risk.

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